Alexander Walters was born in Bardstown in 1858, the son of two LaRue County slaves. His first breath came in the floor of the kitchen of what is now the Talbott Tavern in Bardstown. At the time, it was called The Donahoe Hotel.
The future didn’t hold much promise for the little black baby born that August morning, the sixth of eight children.
Unbeknownst to those gathered, that baby would grow up to become a leader, not only in Kentucky, but across the United States, Europe and Africa. However, his roots remained firmly planted in the Bluegrass State.